Ballymena Mart employee receives Farm Family Key Skills health & safety pack

Under the Farm Family Key Skills (FFKS) scheme, CAFRE continues to offer Health & Safety workshops to Farm Families and their employees.

Sam McNabney, Manager of Ballymena Mart and Trevor McCrory, employee of the Mart.

The scheme is being rolled out across Northern Ireland and is funded through the NI Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

To reinforce the importance of health & safety, Ballymena mart welcomed the opportunity to host a workshop for customers and staff who are all part of local farming families. The training in local marts provides another outlet to spread the important message linked to farm safety. Following the training CAFRE is also awarding a health & safety pack to a trainee who has completed the course during a given month. Each pack contains a head torch, hi-vis vest, body warmer and safety wellington boots. The selection is managed by CAFRE who notify the successful attendee. 

Trevor McCrory, employee with Ballymena Mart and farm family member was successfully selected to receive the pack after he attended a health & safety workshop at the Mart in January 2018. Trevor said: “I learnt a lot from the workshop especially risks when mixing slurry and dangers when working with cows that are calving.”

To date over 650 individuals within the farm family have attended the Health & Safety training across Northern Ireland.

Health & safety on the farm continues to be an issue - statistics show that each month there are over 100 accidents on the farm that require attention. On the back of this CAFRE, in conjunction with NFU Mutual, has recently started to offer a free First Aid awareness training course which is also delivered locally. For more information on the First Aid course contact 028 8225 6772 or email info@ghskills.com. 

The health & safety training is available at the following venues:

Alternatively, if your local community wishes to host a workshop then training can be set up for a group of farmers, family members and employees in your area or come and talk to the FFKS staff at Balmoral Show – 16 – 19 May 2018 on the CAFRE stand.

Registration in advance of each workshop is essential. For further information or to register for a workshop, go on line to CAFRE website or contact Samantha or Joyce at RDC on 028 8676 6980 or email jmcmullan@rdc.org.uk.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Northern Ireland Rural Development Council (RDC) has been appointed to deliver Health & Safety training as part of the Farm Family Key Skills programme.
2. Farm Family Key Skills aims is to increase the levels of knowledge and skills in agricultural and commercial horticulture businesses.
3. Managed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), the programme is funded through the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
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5. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office, pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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